The Communication Matrix is an assessment tool with robust scientific and clinical roots that helps those who support people with severe communication difficulties find a path to self-expression. It pinpoints an individual’s current communication level and gives a framework for determining future goals.

The Matrix was inspired by important research that came from a “pragmatic” approach to communication development that was first discussed by Elizabeth Bates and her colleagues. This approach considered what the child achieves by communicating using many different behaviors, rather than just looking at speech. Another influence was the work of Heinz Werner and Bernard Kaplan. They viewed the emergence of symbolic communication as a developmental process that is a natural outgrowth of early relationships between mothers, infants, and the objects or events in their environment. The Matrix was developed using these principles, paired with extensive hands-on clinical research involving individuals with complex communication needs, their caretakers, teachers, and speech language pathologists.

The Matrix includes all types of communication, including alternative forms (picture systems, electronic devices, voice-output systems, Braille, sign language and 3D symbols) and pre-symbolic communication (gestures, body movement, sounds, eye gaze and facial expressions), as well as typical communication (speech). It covers seven levels of development in the earliest stages of communication.

"The Communication Matrix has had such a huge impact on my practice in our center program! Your work is simply wonderful"- Speech Language Pathologist

The Communication Matrix involves four major aspects of communication: four of the earliest reasons for communicating; seven levels of communication; 24 speciﬁc messages that someone expresses (such as “I want that”); and nine categories of behaviors that someone uses to communicate (such as simple gestures).

4 Reasons to Communicate

The Matrix is organized into four major reasons to communicate that appear across the bottom of the Proﬁle: to REFUSE things that we don't want; to OBTAIN things that we do want; to ENGAGE in social interaction; and to PROVIDE or seek information.

Refusethings that we don't want

Obtainthings that we do want

Engagein social interaction

Provideor seek information

Under each of these four major reasons are 24 more speciﬁc messages that people express. Each of these messages correspond to the 24 questions you answer as you complete the Matrix. The speciﬁc messages are arranged by Level and Reason, as seen below.

Level

Refuse

Obtain

Social

Information

I

-Expresses discomfort

-Expresses comfort

-Expresses interest in other people

II

-Protests

-Continues an action-Obtains more of something

-Attracts attention

III

-Refuses or rejects something

-Requests more of an action-Requests a new action-Requests more of an object-Makes choices-Requests a new object

-Requests attention-Shows affection

IV

-Greets people-Offers things or shares-Directs someone's attention to something-Uses polite social form

-Answers "Yes" and "No" questions-Asks Questions

V

-Requests objects that are absent

-Names things or people-Makes comments

VI

VII

7 Levels of Communication

The seven levels range from Level 1, “pre-intentional behavior” that reﬂects a general state (think of the way a baby shows it is sleepy or uncomfortable) all the way up to Level 7, using language. In between are a range of ways to communicate, if we know how to look for them.

Behavior is under the individual’s control, but it is not yet used to communicate intentionally. Individuals at this stage do not yet realize that they can use their own behaviors to control another person’s behavior.

Caregivers interpret the individual’s needs and desires from behaviors such as body movements, facial expressions, vocalizations and eye gaze.

In typically developing children, this stage occurs between 3 and 8 months of age.

Unconventional pre-symbolic behaviors are used intentionally to communicate. Communicative behaviors are “pre-symbolic” because they do not involve any sort of symbol; and they are "unconventional" because they are not socially acceptable for us to use as we grow older.

Conventional pre-symbolic behaviors are used intentionally to communicate. Communicative behaviors are “pre-symbolic” because they do not involve any sort of symbol; they are “conventional" because they are socially acceptable and we continue to use them to accompany our language as we mature. The meanings of some gestures may be unique to the culture in which they are used.

Communicative behaviors include pointing, nodding or shaking the head, waving, hugging, and looking from a person to a desired object. Some vocalizations may also be used at this stage. Note that many of these gestures (and especially pointing) require good visual skills and may not be useful for individuals with severe vision impairment. In typically developing children, this stage occurs between 12 and 18 months of age.

“Concrete" symbols that physically resemble what they represent, are used to communicate. Concrete symbols look like, feel like, move like, or sound like what they represent. Concrete symbols include pictures, objects (such as a shoelace to represent "shoe"), "iconic" gestures (such as patting a chair to say "sit down"), and sounds (such as making a buzzing sound to mean “bee”). Most individuals skip this stage and go directly to Level VI. For some individuals concrete symbols may be the only type of symbol that makes sense to them; for others they may serve as a bridge to using abstract symbols.

Typically developing children use concrete symbols in conjunction with gestures and words, generally between 12 and 24 months of age, but not as a separate stage.

Abstract symbols such as speech, manual signs, Brailled or printed words are used to communicate. These symbols are “abstract” because they are NOT physically similar to what they represent. At this level they are used one at a time.

In typically developing children, this stage occurs between 12 and 24 months of age.

Symbols (concrete or abstract) are combined into two- or three-symbol combinations ("want juice", "me go out"), according to grammatical rules. The individual understands that the meaning of symbol combinations may differ depending upon how the symbols are ordered.

In typically developing children, this stage begins around 24 months of age.

9 Categories of Communicative Behavior

Communication can happen through movements of the body, the face, the eyes and the hands, as well as through sounds and words. Some categories happen on several levels of development, while others happen only on one level (below).

Simple Gestures

Language

Conversational Gestures & Vocalization

(shaking head “no”, waving goodbye, pointing, nonspeech vocalizations with intonations such as a questioning intonation)

Abstract Symbols

(spoken words manual signs, written words, Brailled words, abstract 2- or 3-dimensional symbols that have no perceptual/physical similarity to what they represent)

Concrete Symbols

(2-dimensional or 3-dimensional symbols with clear perceptual/physical similarity to what they represent, also iconic gestures such as patting a chair to say “sit down”)

Visual

(look at person or object)

Body Movements

(whole body, head, arm, hand, leg movements)

Facial Expressions

(smile, frown)

Early Sounds

(coo, squeal, laugh, cry)

Level

Behavior Category

I

Body Movements

Facial Expressions

Early Sounds

II

Body Movements

Facial Expressions

Early Sounds

Visual

III

Body Movements

Facial Expressions

Early Sounds

Visual

Simple Gestures

IV

Conventional Gestures & Vocalization

V

Concrete Symbols

VI

Abstract Symbols

VII

Language

Designed for SLAs and Educators

It was first published in 1990 and was revisted in 1996 and 2004 by Dr. Charity Rowland of Oregon Health and Science University.

It was designed primarily for speech-language pathologists and educators to use to document the excessive communication skills of children who have severe or multiple disabilities, including children with sensory, motor and cognitive impairments.

Engaging Parents

The origional version of the Matrix was primarily designed for use by speech-language pathologists and educators. It is sold at cost through www.designtolearn.com.

A more "user friendly" version, designed especially for parents, was published in 2004 in response to requests from the field. The results of both professional and parent versions are summarized on a one-page Profile that shows what level of communicative behaviours the child uses and what kinds of messages, or communicative intents, are expressed. These profiles allow parents and professionals to directly compare the information they have from home, school or clinic to provide a comprehensive portrait of a child's communication skills.

Donate NowThe Communication Matrix project is not-for-profit and relies in part on donations from our community.

Learn More

For more information, download a paper that explains the organization and structure of the Matrix, the research that formed the conceptual basis for the instrument, and its psychometric properties.

You can also purchase the origional print version of the Matrix for professionals at www.designtolearn.com. It uses a concise format that is designed for rapid administration by persons familiar with the assessment.

You are about to TRY the Matrix Assessment tool.

Your information is private.

The information you enter in the assessment is completely secure and
cannot be identified. When you use this free service, we ask you to provide
some very basic information about the individual you are assessing
(gender, age, ethnic background, country of residence, disability and specific
impairments) and your relationship to that person. However, we
have no way of indentifying who has used this service.

Teachers:

Many teachers require their college students in communication disorders
or child development classes to complete a Communication Matrix
online. Please have your students use the Test Drive site for this
purpose. You may ask them to print out the Profile and Communication
Skills List as proof of their work.

How you want us to refer to the person you are assessing:

Statement A

My child doesn't seem to have real control over his body yet.

The only way I know that he wants something is because he fusses or whines when he's unhappy or uncomfortable, and he smiles, makes noises or calms down when he's happy and comfortable. Does this statement describe your child?

Statement B

My child has control over her own behaviors, but she doesn't use them to try to communicate to me.

She doesn't come to me to let me know what she wants, but it's easy for me to figure out, because she tries to do things for herself. She knows what she wants, and her behavior shows me what she wants. If she runs out of something to eat, she will just try to get more, rather than trying to get me to give her more.

How to score your child

Each question you will see is related to a certain message that
your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors.
Read the question and decide whether your child is able to
express the message described using any of the listed behaviors.
If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child
has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an
emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next
to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the
following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or
emerging

Mastered

– Does this independently most of the time when the opportunity arises– Does this in a number of dierent contexts, and with dierent people

Emerging

– Does this inconsistently
–
Only does this when prompted or encouraged to do so. Only does this in one or two contexts or with one person.

Tips on Communication Devices

Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors.Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors.If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging